Safe&Sound
by Debora Wain
Summary: After loosing the two people who she knew as family, Jean is left alone to learn how to live a new life in District 2. The district she had always called home has come a long way now that Paylor is the Capitols President. With her skills in mechanics...
1. Chapter 1

**Safe & Sound**

**Chapter 1**

I woke up with a jump. Sweat sticking strands of my hair onto my forehead. Every night it was the same. Every night the same nightmare, same reaction, same antidote. I swung my legs to the side taking the covers off. My feet dangled a bit, my toes making contact with the cold floor. I dug my fingers into my hair and took deep breaths closing my eyes. The rumbling from the avalanche attack still ringing in my ears. My fathers dead and cold eyes staring back at me before Nate's arms wrap around me and drag me away towards the tunnels and into the trains.

I stood up and walked to the bathroom before turning the knobs from the sink. Letting the cold water run, I took a hand fool and cleaned my face in desperate need to wake up. I was in no better situation then inside that mountain. I was being held prisoner in my own home, District 2, after the Capitol had fallen and Paylor had been chosen Panem's new president. Of cores after Snow was brought down and Coin was murdered.

I slid down next to the sink. My back taking the cold from the concrete wall. It had been a month now. And I could remember everything as if it was just yesterday. The sirens, the desperate screams, the pushing, the dead bodies... I sighed.

I was never glad to be the only district on the Capitols side. I despised those who trained to become Peacekeepers. Never did I encourage the Hunger Games and never did I like President Snow with his chilly voice and cold eyes. Eyes of a killer I used to say before my father hushed me. My father... my only reason for living and staying in District 2. My mother had died giving birth to me eighteen years ago. I grew up with my father. I was quiet and closed towards everyone from our District; once I understood why we were so protected, so favorited by the Capitol I became completely remote. My father wasn't a fan of the idea of what our distract was. But he knew how to survive. I knew he did it for me.

The only other person I had ever trusted or cared for, was Nate. He was the kid who lived two houses down from ours. His brothers all worked for the Capitol, his mother and father dead. A troublemaker. He would get punished in public almost everyday. But he went on with his bad habits until he met me. People said I was the influence that stopped him. That drove him to control. I shoved that away. I knew he stopped because he could never burden with leaving me alone after I saved him.

He was walking, or better yet dragging himself back to his house after what I supposed was his second whipping down in the square that week. I was outside waiting for my father to get back from work. He fell on his face, his breathing heavy. I couldn't help myself really. It was strange. It was the first time I ever approached someone from our distract. I wrapped his arm around my shoulder and took him inside. Laying him on the diner table, I took his shirt off. And I was right, there were fresh wounds, but unhealed ones that had reopened. I filled a bucket with water and began cleaning the pierced skin. Dipping a cloth into the water and washing away the dirt and blood before he could catch any infections. He slept the afternoon off. My father came home and said nothing. He simply wrapped his arm around my shoulder and smiled proudly down at me. I walked down late evening to check up on him only to walk into the kitchen and meet with his blue eyes. After that, there was no turning back. He took care of me and I took care of him.

Now I was alone. In the hands of the rebels. But it was either this or dying in the mountain. Though I was always sure I preferred dying. I had lost my father and not even minutes later, I had lost Nate. They were the only people I had. The only family I knew.

When both Nate and I became of age, we applied for the working aries at the Mountain, at least that's what we called it. It was the Capitols core in our district. The treasure in our lands. There we worked with hovercrafts and they held some assembles where they talked about military strategies. We never came close to the classified military stuff. We were in charge of the hovercrafts. Honestly me we were better off. My father had taught both Nate and I all he knew. We were quick, agile and smart. I hated waking up every day though. How could I ever like helping the Capitol?

"Just think of it as survival payment." Nate would tell me. "No work, no survival."

And he was right. I woke up only for my father and for him. I couldn't bare the thought of loosing either of them. So I did my survival payment as do. It was amusing though. They day of the attack, Nate was the one tired and mad at everything. He started talking about joining the rebels and I had to push him out of the halls and take him out close to the woods to calm him down. The Peacekeepers would never think twice before punishing for treason. And let's face it, he had a history of being chastised publicly already. He slid down against the trunk of a big oak tree and I chuckled a bit shaking my head as he began braking sticks in his hands.

"What happen to me being the one tired of this place and having small outburst?" I smiled standing in front of him.

"I wasn't kidding. Why not join the rebellion? They fight for what we want," he looked up at me. His blue orbs serious. A seriousness that was far from common.

My smile fell and I kneeled down in front of him. "Nate..." I had no words. He had hated this place as much as I did. But I was the one who voiced it, showed my emotions towards the whole thing. He was the calm one who had to stop be from shouting my hate for the Capitol.

He leaned towards me, his hand cupped my cheek. I froze. We had never been this close, never had really touched besides when we trained in the woods. Nate had spent hours teaching me hand to hand combat. He wanted me to learn how to fend for myself if the day ever came where he wasn't by my side. Those were kicks and blows. Not warm caresses. "They fight for our freedom. To bring down the Capitol. Snow. Everything that we despise so much," he tucked a strand of my dark locks behind my ear. "Can you imagine a future where our people don't have to train to become Capitol puppets? Where we don't build the Capitols machinery and protect their military plans? Can you?" His voice had gone deep, filled with passion and hope.

I smiled sadly. "We have to get back." Was all I said. And now, staring at the bunk bead in this cellar, I regretted that answer.

We went back. Nate had calmed a bit. But at the exact moment we bumped into my father, the entrance we had walked in through had been shut off. Darkness took over before the alarm began blaring and the walls began shaking. Nate took hold of my arm as I took hold of my fathers hand before the three of us began running for the trains. People were screaming, there were already bodies around us, people pushing past us. Before I knew it rocks came down on us and my father's hand was no longer in mine.

"Dad!" I shouted. Rocks and more rocks was what I saw. I slipped from Nate's hold who called after me, and ran towards the pile of rocks. "Dad!" I kept shouting, my vision blurred by tears. I had only cried three times in my life. The first when my father explained my mothers death. I was six and had finally understood it. The second when Nate had taken a whipping for protecting me from a Peacekeeper. It had taken a week for his wounds to close and begin healing. And then at that moment.

"Jean," he coughed out once I had doug him out. His face was black, blood dripping from the corner of his lips. I pulled him out and set him away from the rocks. He cupped my cheek and wiped away tears. I began to sob. "You have to run."

"No," I shook my head wiping more tears. "I won't leave you." I pulled him closer to me. He was mine. No-one could take him from me.

He gave me a sad smile. The rumbling became louder. "Nate take her! Run!" he managed to shout.

I began to complain but Nate's arms had already circled around my waist. I shouted and watched his eyes go blank. Nate made his way to the tunnels and push us into one of the trains before the doors shut. He put me on my feet but hugged me to him. Both protectively and affectionate. I could feel my life slipping away. Rocks began do fall on us and the compartment was filled with ashy air. We all began to cough and cover our eyes when the train doors opened. Nate pulled us out and as we fell we watched Katniss Everdeen stand in front of one of the workers. It all happened so fast. One minute she was there the other she was on the ground and gunfire began non-stop. Nate picked us up and began heading towards the woods. The dust covering the square made it hard. All of a sudden a tall figure with dark hair stood in front of us, Nate stood in front of me at such a quick pace I didn't register what was happening until he fell to the ground. I knew I was shouting. I crawled to the ground and pulled him to me. He smiled sadly, his hand brushing my cheek before his eyes went blank and his hand fell to the side limp. I could feel my body trembling. I stood up and charged at the figure. The last think I remember was falling into darkness. The next thing I knew I was being held by the rebells.

I hadn't noticed the tears streaming down my cheeks till my ears registered my sniffing. My hands were in shaking fists and I was beginning to bite down hard on my jaw. The rebells were suppose to be fighting for what I wanted. Wasn't that what Nate said? So how? How could they take away my father? How could they kill Nate so cooly and not care at all? It all seemed so unjust to me. I was beginning to hate the rebellion just as much as the Capitol. It had taken the first week to control me. They sedated me daily to control my violent outbursts. At night was the only time I wished I was sedated. Nightmares after nightmares was all my mind could come up with. The screaming, he pushing, the darkness. It was like a horrible film on repeat.

I leaned my head back. I was alone. I had no-one. So what where they waiting for? Where they going to kill me? What? I had nothing left. So why the wait?


	2. Chapter 2

_After loosing the two people who she knew as family, Jean is left alone to learn how to live a new life in District 2. The district she had always called home has come a long way now that Paylor is the Capitols President. With her skills in mechanics Beetee has taken her under his wing to plan what is needed for the new President. Beetee's right hand man, Gale, isn't too happy about it._

**Safe & Sound**

**Chapter 2**

I'd sat on the floor staring at my bunk for what was left of the night. When the doors of the cage I had to call room opened, a man in a wheelchair greeted me. Behind him was a tall guy with a strong frame and hard eyes. If I wasn't mistaken, he was Katniss Everdeen's cousin.

But my eyes fell back on the man on the chair smiling at me. "I hear you're good with mechanics."

I stared at him.

"I told you Beetee. It's a waist of time. The people at the hospital had to sedate her for a week."

"Can you blame her?" Beetee kept on smiling down at me. The guy rolled his eyes out of exasperation. So they wanted me for my mechanic skills. "Gale wait outside if you aren't willing to help." Beetee batted his hand at Gale.

"You know I can't do that." Gale closed the door and stood in front of it. His eyes hard on me expecting an attack.

"Very well." Beetee rolled his chair closer to me, Gale following two steps behind. "Jean is it?" I stared him a bit harder now. He nodded taking my reaction as a yes. "Indeed so. My name is Beetee. I'm an expert with electronics and wiring-"

"I know who you are." I interrupted. "You're one of the male tributes from District 3. One of the few survivors of the 75th Hunger Games." I spoke the name of the games with bitterness.

Beetee smiled wider, his teeth showing, and looked at Gale over his shoulder. "I believe we need not worry about her. She seems to dislike the games as much as we do."

"Or so it seems. District 2 is known to adapt to survival. She can be lying for all we know in hopes of not getting killed." Gale moved the gun he hold in front of his chest.

I stared at the gun and then straight into his eyes. "My district adapted to what the Capitol threw at them. But not all of us chose the life we were handed. Not all of us wanted to become Peacekeepers or work for the Capitol. But some had no other choice in order to keep family members alive. So excuse me for wanting to survive for loved ones. Would you let one of your own die for your selfish survival?"

Silence was broken with Beetee's laughter. "She sure shut you up. She has a spark Gale."

"Yeah. A spark that could get her killed."

Threats of death was all I was getting from him. But I had no problem with it. I could fend for myself. And if more then words were exchanged, Nate had prepared me. After getting food into my system, being assigned a room and leaving the hospital, Beetee and Gale took me to the mechanic rooms. They were in the same building I was to stay in. The smell of oils seemed like home. It hugged me and warmed parts of me that only my father and Nate could. This was what was left of my loved ones: the feel of cold metal against my skin, oil sticking onto my hands and the clanking of metal against metal.

"So," Beetee snapped me from my thoughts.

"So?" my hand closed around a socket wrench handle. Gale observed me from the corner of his eyes. I sighed and rolled my eyes turning to him. "What? Am I going to hit Beetee with this? Yes it's crossed my mind. No I won't do it."

Beetee laughed and I turned away from Gale putting the wrench back on the table. I crossed my arms and stood beside Beetee. "Having you both on a daily basis will be very amusing. Very well, let's get to work. Jean, we've been trying to design a hovercraft able to cary food, water, the necessities while the weight of the people in charge of the hovercraft isn't thrown off balance." Beetee began to describe deeper detail of what they were hoping to accomplish. Apparently Paylor had ordered the electric fences around the districts to be restored for protection of wild animals and what not. People were assigned to carry out the duty by hand while passing out food and what was needed to the districts.

"Maybe we shouldn't be trusting her with so much." Gale stepped beside Beetee staring at me. "She just came out of the hospital. And we haven't exactly made sure she isn't trying to be a rebel."

"A rebel within the rebels. Original." I snapped and ignored his comments before leaning onto the table in front of us and sketching down ideas while talking to Beetee.

I closed my room's door and headed for the bathroom. It was the first time I stared at myself through a mirror. The first time in a month I had a mirror to stare myself in to be honest. My skin was pale, I had bags under my eyes. I ran my fingers over my split lip. My dark curls were a mess of never ending knots. I stared into my green eyes, eyes I had inherited from my mother. The old Capitol was done for. We were starting fresh. But I felt alone. I was alone. I had no-one to start fresh with. The freedom that Nate spoke of... I had it... without him.

I took off the hospitals cloths and stepped into the shower. Cleaning and scrubbing every corner of my body in hopes of getting rid of the Capitols stench and mark on me. I had never felt so labeled. After having cleaned even my dirt stained nails and dressed into some normal cloths that consisted of a pair of dark denims and a brownish shirt, I began to untangle my curls. Running my hand through the wet strands, an image of Nate's smiling face came to. He loved my curls. Couldn't stop his fingers from reaching them once in a while. I had long dark waves reaching my hips. Another attribute of my mothers beauty. I swore the only thing I inherited from my father was my attitude. And I loved it. It made me believe I could overcome any obstacle. Just like I knew he could.

Resting my head on the pillow on my bed I sighed deeply swallowing back tears. I needed sleep. I hadn't slept well in over a month and Beetee wanted me up by seven working on models of what we'd discussed during the day.

After a week working with Beetee and Gale, I began to analise them both. Beetee was smart. Obviously amused by how Gale and I treated each other. But when it came down to it he was serious to the core with his work. He could walk, but preferred wheeling himself around. I'd commented on him actually loosing the ability to such action if he kept on going like that. He laughed it off. Gale actually thought I was right. Something that caught both me and Beete by surprise.

Gale hadn't warmed up to me at all. And it didn't bother me in the least. I snapped at him every time he threw death threats at me. That hadn't changed. Though he did stop holding his gun against his stomach in case I jumped at either Beetee or him. He was smart. Very smart to my surprise. Quick too. I'd seen him practice with the guards and sneak out onto the woods more than once. Never knew what he did out there. Never bothered to find out. Either way, the idea of me and Gale out in the woods alone wasn't very appealing. He still believed I was against the new Capitol. So he still thought of shooting me. Daily I presumed.

I had finally been completely released from the hospital: check ins, medical tests, psychologist meetings, and on went the list. I walked out the building, a cool breeze blowing my hair back. I closed my eyes and took in the fresh air. I gave my authorization slip to the guard. I needed to be approved an official freedom. That ticked me off a bit. I walked up to the edge were the pebbles that made the streets of District 2 ended and the woods soft grass and dirt began. I let my hand run through the trees bodies as mockingjay's began to jump up from tree branches around me. I smiled. The first smile in a long time. Nate used to say they followed me everywhere when we came out to the woods and practice. I could never sing, but I could hum every toon imaginable.

Sitting on the biggest stone around the woods I hummed every melody I could remember for hours and hours to come. The mockingjay's had come nearer. They stared at me, waiting for my toon to finish so they could begin their own. I began to feel at peace when a twig snapped and my senses turned on. Julting up my eyes met with Gales. Part of me felt relief the other was sure he was going to take the opportunity to shoot me.

"Who was the mental case who let you out?" his arms were crossed over his chest, his eyes not as harsh as the first week we'd spent working with Beetee. I could question his calmness, but decided otherwise.

I leaned back on my shoulders and stared at the blue skies. "There are plenty in the hospital. I couldn't very well point out a specific one." I looked at him, the ghost of a smile on his lips. I couldn't help but smile a bit. "You're not happy. And here I thought you'd be the first person to throw me a 'welcome to the outside world' party once you found out." I mocked. To my surprise he chuckled. His eyes landed on the mockinjay's just then. I looked at them. "Mockinghay's."

"Yeah. I know," he leaned against the rock and stared out into the woods. The jay's already flying away at his firm steps on the ground.

He was different in the woods I noticed just then. He was calmer, at peace even. His frame tumbled onto a comfortable one and not so rigid. His eyes became lighter and his lips seemed to have the ghost of a smile carved in. "What is it you do out here everyday?"

A few minutes of silence passed. I was sure he wasn't going to answer. But he proved me wrong. "I used to hunt. Back in District 12. I guess the homecoming feeling the woods give out won't rub off."

I stared out into the woods. For the first time I agreed with him. The woods didn't have the Capitols stamp. It was the freedom non of us could have. The smile I had fell and I stared down at my hands. "The fences will be up in a week or two."

"Yeah."

I met with his eyes. "Including ours."

In that small moment, looking into each others eyes we understood each other. We didn't fight. He didn't threatened me and I didn't snap an answer. We wouldn't be able to return to the only place the Capitol couldn't cage in. The woods would be off limits once again.


End file.
